Description: Stade Louis II

In 1979 the then prince of Monaco Rainier III decided to use land reclaimed from the sea in Fontvieille docks to create the country’s central sports complex. He reached out to some of the best architects in Paris, who designed this unique stadium, named after Louis II, just like its predecessor located nearby.

Construction was launched in 1981 and ended in late 1984, resulting in one of the buildings topping local tourist attraction lists. 120,000 sqm of concrete, 9,000 tons of steel and 2,000 of structural steel were used during the project.

Worth noting, the building is much more than the football/athletic venue it’s most known to be. Besides these two uses there’s also an indoor hall for 2,500 people, Olympic-sized pool, 3 smaller pools and 15 smaller sports facilities – all for the use of local professional and amateur athletes year round.

The complex is enclosed with a unique outer form that hardly indicates its sporting use from pedestrians’ perspective. And there’s also more than sports to it – two museums, shopping centre, AS Monaco administration, public offices and the International University of Monaco.

400-meter athletic track and the heated pitch are elevated on a concrete platform 13 meters above sea level. Under the platform there’s underground parking with 4 levels and 1,320 bays in total. This combined with large roof is considered to affect grass quality, which needs artificial lighting.

Stade Louis II plays an important role in international sports. In 1986 it saw its first European Cup game and from 1998 to 2012 it’s been the longest-serving venue for UEFA Supercup games. Apart from football also important athletic tournaments are held here, as well as concerts and other events.

In 2008 the stadium received two LED screens covering 60 and 30 sqm, respectively. The AS Monaco home ground also has a floodlighting system that was redone in 2002. Further renovations had to be carried out in 2004, when a nearby building explosion damaged the façade, but fortunately not the entire structure.

Interestingly, Stade Louis II is possibly the single largest stadium compared to the country’s population, allowing 66% of the nation inside. But while Monaco doesn’t have a football federation of its own, the ground operates within the French system.